Hoisting apparatus



Jan. 5, 1943. L. R. KALMBACH' HOISTING APPARATUS Filed July 15, 1939 ZSheets-S'neet l IITTOR/VE'Y Jan. 5, 1943. L. R. KALMBACH HOISTING APPARATUS Filed July 15, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 5, 1943 HOIS'DING APPARATUS Lloyd R. Kalmbach, West Englewood, N. J., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, N ew York, N. Y.,

York

a corporation of New Application July 13, 1939, Serial No. 284,165

7 Claims. This invention relates to hoisting apparatus,

and more particularly to apparatus for hoisting articles for mounting on a frame.

In the manufacture of telephone equipment various electrical elements are mounted on shelves in the factory and transported to the place, such as a telephone exchange, where they are mounted upon vertical frames. Shelves with the electrical elements mounted thereon necessitate the use of a hoist in lifting them to the position of" mounting and in holding them while they are being secured to the frame. Due to the fact that the frames are frequently disposed in rows, leaving only narrow aisles therebetween, with each. frame in most instances extending almost to the ceiling and conditioned to support separate shelves of electrical elements of which care must be taken not to damage, it has beenfound difiicult and ofttimes impossible to mount the shelves with the conventional hoisting meth- I ods and apparatus.

With this and other objects in view, the invention comprises a hoisting apparatus having a lateral unit and a vertical unit, the lateral unit being removably secured upon the top of a frame and having sheaves for a hoisting cable adjustable relative to the frame, the vertical unit having uprights removably secured to the frame and the lateral unit and supporting a winch for moving a cable for lifting articles, such as shelves, having electrical elements mounted thereon in position for securing to the frame.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. l is a perspective view illustrating the hoisting apparatus associated with a frame for lifting articles in place for mounting on the frame;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the lateral unit;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detailed view of the lateral unit;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the means to secure the vertical unit to the lateral unit, portions thereof being shown in section;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the securing means shown in Fig. 4, this view being taken substantially along the line 5-'5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a clamp for removably securing the vertical unit :to the frame;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detailed view of a portion of the winch;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view 1 of the lifting hook, and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary detailed view; of the V lateral unit. I

In the present embodiment the hoisting apparatus is designed to be removably connected to a frame I 0 having a base ll supporting uprights and a top portion, which in the present instance is known as a cable rack, consisting of parallel members I 2 mounted upon lateral projections I3.

A lateral unit I5 is conditioned to be disposed upon the parallel members [2 of the top of the frame and a verticabunit I6 is conditioned to be positioned close to the front of the frame removably secured thereto and also removably secured to the unit [5. The lateral unit has spaced pairs 2!] and 2| of channel membersdisposed in the positions shown in Fig. 1. The channel members ofeach pair are secured together at the spaced positions by bolts, rivets or the like extending therethrough and through tubular spacers 23. The outer channel member of each pair has a locating lug 24 fixed thereto to engage the farthest member IE to locate the channel members in place.

Clamps 25, having hook-shaped ends 26 constructed to extend'around the lower edge of the farthest parallel member i'2, extend upwardly between the channel members in each pair and through apertures in inverted U-shaped members 21 which straddle the channel members in each v pair, where the threaded'ends of the.c1amps are connected to wing nuts or the like 28 to removably secure the lateral unit to the frame.

To each pair of channel members and 2| are adjustablysecured adjusting screws 30 and- .3I havingtheir lower ends fixed to plates 32,

held between the channel members in each pair, and extending upwardly through inverted U- shaped members 33. By the aid of a lock nut 1M disposed upon the adjusting screws and conditioned to rest upon the inverted U-shaped members 33 the adjusting screws may be secured to the pairs of channel members 20 and 2| in desired positions, The adjusting screws 30' extend upwardly and between another pair of joined channel members 35 which are supported in any desired adjusted position on the adjusting screws by nuts 36.

The adjusting screws 31 support an angle member 31 in a plane with the upper surface of the channel members 35 by the aid of nuts 38. A pair of channel members mounted for longitudinal adjustment on the angle member 31 and the channel members 35, through the aid of bolts 4| and M respectively, have their side portions extending outwardly, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and rotatably support sheaves A2 and 43 therebetween. The bolts GI and 44 extend through inverted U-shaped members which straddle the channel members and between the latter Where the bolt M extends further through th angle member 31, where it is secured by a nut, and where the bolt 44 extends further between the channel members 35 and a U-shaped member where it is secured by a nut as shown in Fig. 9.

The vertical unit has vertical angle members Q secured at parallel spaced positions to a base portion 66 and lateral members ll and 48. In the upper portions of the angle members 45 are disposed apertures 59, as illustrated in Fig. 4, to re ceive spaced screws 5!. Inner plates 52 have threaded apertures for receiving the screws 5|. Latches, indicated generally at 54, having portions 55 and. 56 secured together by means, such as welding, are supported by the screws 5| and have elongate apertures 51 therein so as to permit vertical movement of the latches with respect to the angle members when the screws are loosened. The portions of the latches are conditioned to engage the lower extremities of the angle member 31 upon each side of a guide block 58, thus limiting vertical movement of the latches, while the portions 55 are conditioned to be moved into engagement with the inner wall of the angle member to hold the vertical angles 45 in close engagement with the outer wall of the angle member 31 when the screws 51 are tightened, thus securing the vertical unit to the lateral unit.

The vertical unit is removably secured to the frame It by the aid of clamps 68, shown in Figs. 1 and 6, these clamps having hook-shaped inner portions 6! base I l and hook-shaped outer portions 62 conditioned to extend around the outer edge of each of the angle members 45, so that through the adjustment of a wing nut 63 threadedly connected to the clamp the hook-shaped portions 6! and 62 may be moved toward each other to firmly hold the angle members 45 of the vertical unit in close engagement with the base I l of the frame.

A winch, indicated generally at 65, is supported by the lateral members t! and has a drum 65 upon which a hoisting rope or cable 51 may be wound. The drum 65 is fixed for rotation with a gear 69 which interengages a pinion Ill on a shaft H. The shaft 'l'l may be rotated in a suitable manner, for example, through the aid of a crank 13, a pawl '55 and a ratchet l5 normally limiting rotation of the drum in one direction for the winding of the cable 61 upon the drum, and yet permitting, through manual rotation of the pawl, rotation of the drum in the opposite direction to allow the cable to unwind from the drum.

The cable 5'! extends upwardly over the sheaves 42 and 43 and downwardly between the parallel members l2, where it is provided with a hook of the type shown in Fig. '7. The hook 80 has a transversely extending portion 8| merging into an upwardly bent end portion 82. The lower end of the portion 8| is split from a position 83, forming the remaining portion 82 into fork shape to straddle, if desired, a portion of a lifted. The shelves have portions along their edges formed of angle members 85 and for this reason the'hook 8!! is so formed to permit movement of the shelves in substantially vertical paths. A latch 81 pivotally supported by a lug 88 carried to extend around a portion of the shelf 85 to be by the hook 80 is movable into and outof position to lock the hook against accidental disengagement of the shelf.

Referring now to the operation of the apparatus, attention is directed to Fig. l, which illustrates two sets of hoisting units for lifting one type of shelf 85 upwardly relative to the frame It! to a position where the shelf is to be secured to the frame.

Shelves of this type weigh approximately seven hundred pounds (700 lbs.) and due to the delicate structure of the electrical elements mounted thereupon extreme care must be taken in hoisting the shelves for mounting on the frame. As a rule they are moved into position back of the frame on a suitable conveying means and the cables B1 are lowered so that the hooks 80 may be attached to one of the shelves and locked in place by movement of the latches 8'1 into the position shown in Fig. 7. The shelf may then be raised by rotation of the winches 65, drawing the cables upwardly and over the sheaves 43 and 42 and downwardly around the drums of the winches. When the shelf has been raised to the desired position it is held against downward movement by the pawls I5 and ratchets 16 until the shelf is secured in place upon the frame. This operation may be repeated, disconnecting the hooks 80 from the first secured shelf andsecuring them to the next shelf, etc., until all of the shelves have been raised to their desired positions in the frame Ill and secured in place.

The units 15 and lB may then be transferred to another position, that is, to another frame, and secured in place. This is accomplished by first freeing the cables 61 of the unit [5 and loosely connecting the cables to the upper ends of the unit It. Let it be assumed, for the purpose of illustration, that only one set of units is desired for the next operation. The unit I6 is then disconnected from the unit [5 by loosening the screws 5i and allowing the latches 54 to be moved downwardly free of the angle member 31. The clamps B0 are then removed by loosening the wing nuts 63 a sufficient distance to permit disconnection of the hook members GI and 62. The vertical unit I6 is then in condition to be swung free ofthe lateral unit [5 and moved to one side, for example, to the left; and allowed to lean against the frame If! until the unit [5 has been released and moved to the next position.

In releasing the unit I5' the clamps 25 are released from the member I2 of the fram which they engage by first loosening the wing nuts 28 a sufficient distance to free the hook-shaped ends 26. The lateral unit is then in a position to be moved to the next frame section, this being accomplished by sliding the base of the unit on the parallel members I2 of the frame. The lateral unit may then be secured in position by tightening the nuts 28 of the clamps 25 to move the hookshaped portions 26 into close engagement with the adjacent member l2 of theframe. The vertical unit l6 may now be moved into a position adjacent the lateral unitl 5, where it may be secured to the frame by the clamps-60 and to the lateral unit by the latches 54.

A single set of units is employed when smaller articles or shelves are to be raised into position. However, with longer shelves, as illustrated in Fig. 1, it is desirable to use two sets of units.

The path of movement of the articles or shelves as they are raised by the cable to be mounted upon the frame may be varied so as to avoid interference of the cable with shelves previously mounted 2,307,681- and to locate the shelf in its desired position as nearas possible to the position on the frame where it is to be secured. This adjustment is brought about by loosening the bolts 4| and 44 to loosen the connection of the channel members 40 to allow movement thereof with the sheaves and thus move the path of the portion of the cable carrying the hook 80 toward or away from the vertical unit or the frame until the desired adjustment has been completed, after which the screws 4| may be tightened. It may also be desirable to move the sheave supporting channel members if! vertically, to vary their positions with respect to the frame to vary the effective height to which the hook 80 may be moved to lift the shelves. This adjustment may be accomplished through the adjustment of the nuts on the adjusting screws 39 and 3|, to raise or lower the channel members 35 and the angle member 31 and thus raise or lower the sheave supporting channel members 40. Such adjustments are preferably determined and made prior to the hoisting of articles in positions for mounting but if desired, they may be made during the hoisting of an article.

It will be observed that the cable supporting unit l may be disconnected from the vertical unit or the means for moving the cable and may be moved on the frame from one position to the other and removably secured in place. relieved of its greatest weight when disconnected from its lateral unit and may be easily moved from one position to another. Furthermore, the vertical unit fits flush with the frame, is narrow in width and thickness, and may be used conveniently in narrow places. Furthermore, the two units when assembled form a complete apparatus associated with the vertical frame to move articles upwardly in the frame to desired positions relative thereto and hold the articles, such as the shelves, in substantially the positions they are to assume when mounted upon the frame and thus supporting the shelves until they are suitably mounted.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed is illustrative only and may be widely modified and departed from in many ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as pointed out in and limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for hoisting articles comprising a sheave unit including a base supported by and movable to a selected one of a plurality of positions on a vertically positioned frame for sup porting articles, front and back sheaves, an element to rotatably support the sheaves, and means to secure the element to the base to position the front sheave in an overhanging position in front of the frame and the back sheave above the frame, a vertical unit subsequently movable to a position adjacent the sheave unit and including cable moving means, means to removably secure the veritcal unit to the frame in the said position adjacent the sheave unit, and a cable, connected to the cable moving means, extending upwardly and over the front and back sheaves and having a member to engage an article movable vertically upon movement of the cable to a predetermined portion of the frame where the article is to be supported.

2. An apparatus for hoisting articles comprising a sheave unit including a base supported by and movable to a selected one of a plurality of The vertical unit is porting articles, front and back sheaves, an element to rotatably support the-sheaves, and variable means to secure the element to the base to locate the front sheave in variable overhanging positions in front of the frame and the back sheave in variable positions above the frame, a vertical unit subsequently movable to a position adjacent the sheave unit and including a cable moving-means, means to removably secure the vertical unit to the frame in the said position adjacent the sheave unit, and a cable, connected to the cable moving means, extending upwardly and over the front and back sheaves and having a.

member to engage an article movable vertically upon movement of the cable to a predetermined portion of the supported.

3. An apparatus for hoisting articles comprising a sheave unit including a base supported by and movable to a selected one of a plurality of positions on a-vertically positioned frame for'supframe where the article is to be porting articles, front and back sheaves, an elopositions on a vertically positioned frame for supment to rotatably support the sheaves, and means to secure the element to the base to position the front sheave in an overhanging position in front of the frame and the back sheave above the frame, a vertical unit subsequently movable to a position adjacent the sheave unit and including a cable moving means, a cable, connected to the cable moving means, extending upwardly and over the front and back sheaves and having a member to engage an article movable vertically upon movement of the cable to a predetermined portion of ,the frame where the article is to be supported,

and means to removably connect the vertical unit to the sheave unit.

4. An apparatus for hoisting articles comprising a sheave unit including a base supported by and movable to a selected one of a plurality of positions on a vertically positioned frame for supporting articles, front and back sheaves, an element to rotatably support the sheaves, and means to secure the element to the base to position the front sheave in an overhanging position in front of the frame and the back sheave above the frame, a vertical unit subsequently movable to a position adjacent the sheave unit and including a cable moving means, a cable, connected to the cable moving means, extending upwardly and over the front and back sheaves and having a member to engage an article movable vertically upon movement of the cable to a predetermined portion of the frame where the article is to be supported,

and means to removably connect the vertical unit to the element of the sheave unit.

5. An apparatus for hoisting articles comprising a sheave unit including a base supported by and movable to a selected one of a plurality of positions on a vertically positioned frame for sup porting articles, front and back sheaves, an element to rotatably support the sheaves, and variable means to secure the element to the base to locate the front sheave in variable overhanging positions in front of the frame and the back sheave in variable positions above the frame, a vertical unit subsequently movable to a position adjacent the sheave unit and including a cable moving means, a cable, connected to the cable moving means, extending upwardly and over the front and back sheaves and having a member to engage an article movable vertically upon movement of the cable to a predetermined portion of the frame where the article is to be supported, and means to removably connect the vertical unit to the element of the sheave unit.

overhanging position in front of the frame and i the back sheave above the frame, a vertical unit subsequently movable to a position adjacent the sheave unit and including a cable moving means,

means to removably secure the vertical unit to the frame in the said position adjacent the sheave unit, and a cable, connected to the cable moving means, extending upwardly and over the front and back sheaves and having a member to engage an article movable vertically upon movement of the cable to a predetermined portion of the frame where the article is to be supported.

7. An apparatus for hoisting articles comprising a sheave unit including a base supported by and movable to a selected one of a plurality of positions on a vertically positioned frame for supporting articles, front and back sheaves, an element to rotatably support the sheaves, and variable means to secure the element to the base to locate the front sheave in variable overhanging positions in front of the frame and the back sheave in variable positions above the frame, a vertical unit subsequently movable to a position adjacent the sheave unit and including a cable moving means, a cable, connected to the cable moving means, extending upwardly and over the front and back sheaves and having a member to engage an article movable vertically upon movement of the cable to a predetermined portion of the frame where the article is to be supported, and means to removably secure the vertical unit to the frame.

LLOYD R. KALMBACH. 

